Jaya portraits in govt offices: HC seeks TN govt’s stand

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu government to spell out its stand on PILS seeking removal of portraits of late chief minister Jayalalithaa from government offices and schemes on the ground she had been ‘convicted’ in a disproportionate wealth case.

The first bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh and Justice R Mahadevan asked the government to respond by March 20 and posted the matter to that day.

The court gave the direction on petitions by senior DMK functionary J Anbalagan, MLA, and Advocates Forum for Social Justice with similar pleas. The bench orally observed that display of portraits in private offices or offices of political parties could not be gone into, but said the government should respond to all queries raised by the petitioners related to display of portraits in government offices and schemes.

Senior counsel P Wilson appearing for Anbalagan, contended that only because of her demise the charges against Jayalalithaa were abated and was not sentenced to jail but she was convicted by the Supreme Court.

The portraits of a convicted person cannot be displayed in the government offices or in the schemes implemented by the government, he argued. He further submitted that a representation was already made to the government in this regard on February 25. To this, the bench observed, “Give them breathing time. Let them take a decision on displaying the portraits in public offices postconviction. Let them answer all queries raised by you.”